As concern over "urban sprawl" intensifies, the Bush
Administration is coming to the rescue by making it easier to
revitalize decaying city infrastructures. This will both lessen
the need for cities to expand and create new jobs and new sources
of revenue.

Previously ignored, blighted urban areas can be rehabilitated
into productive space. "Brownfield" revitalization received
a boost from President George W. Bush in January when he signed
into law increased funding for clean-ups and protections for those
seeking to beat back urban decay and help the inner cities through
brownfields restoration. The White House is also expected to seek
twice the existing level of federal funding levels for brownfield
clean-ups, from $98 million this year to $200 million next year.1

Brownfields are abandoned commercial and industrial sites that
are suspected to suffer from environmental contamination. Even
as shortages of prime urban real estate were forcing businesses
and families to move out of the cities, these downtown brownfields
were remaining idle due to legal and regulatory uncertainties
that plagued redevelopment options.

These regulatory uncertainties made it difficult, risky and
impractical for entrepreneurs to invest in brownfield redevelopment.
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund), a new owner could potentially
be held liable for environmental wrongdoing that happened on the
land before purchase.2 With such
potentially costly and ambiguous liability, it's no wonder businesses
chose the safety of suburban locations over inner city brownfields.
Inconsistencies between state and federal environmental laws governing
brownfield redevelopment projects3
further discouraged private investment.

Relief did not come until local lawmakers cleared the uncertainties
and eliminated liability concerns through legislation like Ohio's
"Covenant Not To Sue." Lessening the risks to investors
allowed cities to enjoy the benefits of brownfield redevelopment.

One obvious benefit of brownfield redevelopment is that it
eases the need for metropolitan expansion. It allows a city to
grow by making better use of the space it already occupies.

Brownfield clean-ups also create jobs. Labor is needed for
the physical process of redeveloping a brownfield site, and jobs
are created by the businesses that move into them. The U.S. Conference
of Mayors estimates that the redevelopment of 81,568 acres of
brownfield sites could create 550,000 jobs nationally.4 Such job creation benefits the entire
economy, from large corporations to members of the low-income
minority communities that often are located near brownfields.

Brownfield redevelopment also creates millions of dollars of
tax revenue that otherwise would have found its way out of the
cities.

Across the nation, brownfield redevelopment projects have been
successful time and time again. In Bridgeport, Connecticut, the
abandoned and decaying Jenkens Valvesite plant used to be an eyesore
at the gateway to the city. The city redeveloped part of this
brownfield into a new 5,500-seat baseball stadium, and plans to
use the additional land for an indoor ice rink and museum. The
stadium alone created 361 jobs, 68 of which are permanent.5

In Buffalo, New York, the former Republic Steel site - once
considered hopelessly contaminated - was converted into a $16
million, 22-acre hydroponic tomato farm and greenhouse facility.
This created 175 new jobs.6 The
decaying Spicklemier Industries complex in Indianapolis, Indiana
was converted into a 20,000-square-foot office space and a self-storage
facility. Before redevelopment, the land was appraised at $182,500.
The current value is $2.62 million.7

These examples of brownfield redevelopment share several characteristics.
In each case, an abandoned brownfield was converted into a beneficial
community project. Each redevelopment project created jobs and
tax revenue while eliminating urban decay and easing expansion.

The benefits of brownfield clean-ups sound almost too good
to be true. After all, few commercial projects are capable of
simultaneously meeting the concerns of those with a passion for
the environment while providing the economic stimulation those
with an eye on the bottom line believe is necessary. The more
legal and regulatory hurdles to brownfield redevelopment fall,
the more cities and the people living in them will be able to
benefit.

Footnotes:

1 "Bush Plan Would Double 'Brownfields'
Cleanup Funds," Washington Post, January 11, 2002, p. A05.
2 Mary Bielen, "Brownfields and Their Redevelopment,"
Ohio State University, downloaded from http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/cd-fact/1527.html
on June 21, 2001.
3 Ibid.
4 "City Report Shows Effects of Brownfields in America,"
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Washington, DC, downloaded from http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/news/press_releases/brownfields022400_final.asp
on June 7, 2000.
5 "Bridgeport's Restored Gateway Leads to a Whole New Impression,"
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC,
downloaded from http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/html-doc/ss_brdgp.htm
on June 21, 2001.
6 "Buffalo, New York: From Polluted Steel Graveyard to Thriving
Tomato Farm," United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, DC, downloaded from http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/html-doc/ss_buffl.htm
on June 21, 2001.
7 "Concrete to Cash in Indianapolis," United States
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, downloaded form
http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bj/html-doc/ss_indy.htm on June 21,
2001.

# # #

Syd Gerntein is a research associate of The National Center
for Public Policy Research and its Center for Environmental Justice.
Comments may be sent to [email protected].